Let's See How Far We've Come
by Joy-girl
Summary: It started with a crazy old man and Naruto. To be fair, he wasn't all that crazy, and Naruto was… well, Naruto and in this case, the two combined to make for an interesting night. The night the world was supposed to end.


It's been a while since I updated anything. I've been working on a One Piece fiction and life has been crazy.

That and I haven't been terribly motivated to write. I'm a terrible person, I know! I think it's because I don't have as much time to read stuff anymore and I'm continually trying make my word choices simpler since I'm teaching ESL. I really need to work on that…

Anyway, in light of recent endings, I thought I would post _something_ and this is the one I actually finished. There are so many other plot bunnies and half-finished ideas and things that I need to get to. But this is better than nothing, yeah?

**Note:** There is some shikaino in here – I am aware they are a crack pairing and not canon, but my little shipper heart will always hold them together. Anyway, it's not much and you can still picture it as friendship

**Note 2:** This was originally written for my "Songs for Life" compilation, buuuut… it's been so long since I added to it, I thought I'd just make it a separate thing? It was going to be one shots based off of songs that I thought were good to write stories to, but it just never got off the ground. Maybe I'll add to it later. Who knows.

**Let's See How Far We've Come**

_Waking up at the start of the end of the world,  
>But it's feeling just like every other morning before,<br>Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it's gone,  
>The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour<br>And I started staring at the passengers who're waving goodbye  
>Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?<em>

I believe the world is burning to the ground  
>Oh well I guess we're gonna find out<br>Let's see how far we've come

It started with a crazy old man and Naruto.

To be fair, he wasn't all that crazy, and Naruto was… well, Naruto and in this case, the two combined to make for an interesting night.

The night the world was supposed to end.

"Boy, the world is going to end."

"Huh?" Naruto turned suddenly, wondering who had spoken to him. He turned left, right, behind him – no one. Finally, he looked down. An older man with a messy grey beard and one beady eye stared into blue ones. When he spoke, Naruto barely recognized the lack of teeth. The blonde leaned in, nose scrunched as though to help him hear better.

"I said the world is going to end!"

Naruto reared back and crossed his arms while raising an eyebrow. "Yeah? What makes you say that?"

"I feel it in me bones, boy." His one eye widened, showing the dry and pulsing red veins. Naruto shuddered as he felt the eye look deep into his very soul.

"I don't know, old man…" Naruto looked left and right, hoping to find a friend to verify the elder's craziness.

"No, no. You will start to feel it soon. It's in the wind. The wind will come and take it all away."

As though sensing Naruto's hesitance, a strong wind blew. A leaf clung to Naruto's hair. Naruto plucked it and stared at it while it shook between his fingers. He let go, and the leaf was gone before he could blink.

The wind stopped as quickly as it had begun. "You see? You see? It's coming tonight, boy! You had better be prepared!"

Now thoroughly freaked out, Naruto put his hands out in front of him and backed up. "Yeah, sure." He let out a nervous chuckled, looked around, then placed a shaking hand to the back of his head, "Well, good luck to you!" Naruto disappeared.

* * *

><p>Try as he might, Naruto could not get the old man's words out of his head, and by lunchtime Naruto had been officially convinced that the world was going to end.<p>

"He said it's in the wind!"

It was bad enough that Sasuke was forced to eat lunch with the idiot, but now he had to listen to him spout nonsense about the world ending. Being the tactful man that Sasuke was, he decided to share his thoughts with his teammate.

"You're an idiot." Sasuke did not bother to look Naruto's way before he calmly slurped up the noodles in front of him.

"I'm not!" Naruto slammed his chopsticks onto the counter. "Our village is going to disappear! I need to warn people! Where's Sakura-chan?"

"Working. Don't bother her with your nonsense." Sasuke placed his chopsticks over top of his now empty bowl and pushed it away from him.

"N-Naruto-kun, do you r-really think it's true?" Hinata's eyes were wide and full of trust. Her ramen was long forgotten.

Naruto turned to her, a frown in place, "It's true." Naruto's voice was grave. He ignored the scoff from behind him.

"I think the Hokage would know about it." The other blond in the ramen stand rolled her eyes before she stuffed the rest of her ramen into her mouth.

"You're right!" Naruto jumped up from his seat. "Someone needs to warn the Hokage!"

"Idiot-" Sasuke turned, fully intending to chastise the blonde before he caused more trouble.

"No time!" Naruto hopped up and down on his feet, ready to go. "She needs to be warned!" He sped off, with a stuttering Hinata struggling to keep up behind him.

A heavy sigh escaped Sasuke's mouth. He got up to leave and wash his hands of said idiot. He tried to stop him. Sort of. Suddently, a large open palm filled his vision.

"I don't care if the world his ending, I still need you to pay for yours and Naruto's ramen."

* * *

><p>"It's interesting, don't you think?"<p>

"What?"

Ino rolled over on the grass so that she faced her two teammates. "I don't think he's right, but it's something to think about – what would you do if the world was ending tonight?"

"I wouldn't have to worry about what I ate!" Chouji piped in immediately.

"You don't already." Ino pointed out, pushing herself up so that she was leaning on one elbow.

"I do!" Chouji also pushed himself up to one elbow to defend himself, "I limit myself to five bags of chips a day and one package of cookies!"

"Congratualations, Chouji." Ino sighed and dropped herself back onto the grass. "You're an inspiration."

"Leave him alone." Shikamaru sighed, no doubt wondering why they not only followed him to his favorite spot, but decided to lay on either side of him.

"Well, what about you, Shika? What would you do?"

Shikamaru was silent as he contemplated the question. "Probably just watch it happen." He said after a while. He missed the pout that appeared on Ino's face.

"Nothing else?"

"Nah."

"No words unsaid? Nothing you want to tell anyone?"

"Not really."

Ino's nose scrunched up and she pushed herself up into a sitting position before standing, her back to her boys.

"Ino?" Ino heard the grass rustling, probably Chouji sitting up. "What would you do?"

With her back still turned, Ino felt herself sigh, "I guess it doesn't really matter."

"But," Chouji looked at her back, down at Shikamaru, and back up again at Ino, "If the world is ending, it doesn't matter that it doesn't matter, right?"

Ino twisted angrily with her hands on her hips and blue eyes shining, "Well, it doesn't matter if it doesn't matter that it doesn't matter! The world isn't ending!" With one final pound of her foot, Ino whirled around and stomped up the hill before disappearing down the road.

* * *

><p>By dinner time, the word had spread. For many, it was nothing but the whispers carried by the wind and rumors that silly ninjas made up to scare civilians. Others began buying supplies to fill their precious guaranteed safe place. For some it was time of contemplation, and other groups used it as an excuse to do what they pleased.<p>

For example: In a tower, a blonde was having a merry old time. The dark-haired girl with her was not. "You should probably stop now. No! Don't burn that! Hey!"

The pigtails on the blonde swayed with the built body. They dipped towards the floor as the head they were attached to was thrown back in a fit of laughter. With hands fisted on her hips and a heavy blush on her cheeks, these words came from her mouth: "If the world is going to end, I'm not going to hold back!" She straightened up and a wicked grin graced her lips.

The other person in the room was afraid.

"Tsunade-sa-"

"THAT'S RIGHT, 'OL BUGGERS!" Tsunade yelled, while still laughing. Shizune sighed heavily. A hand went to her eyes and she rubbed them, wondering how she got stuck on this duty day in and day out. The sound of liquid very close to her ear interrupted her thoughts. She moved the hand from her eyes to see a surprisingly focused pair of brown eyes staring at her intently. "You're too serious." A grin broke out as Tsunade leaned back to lift the brown bottle to Anko's face. "Have some! What have you got to loose?"

* * *

><p>"Hinata-Chan, thanks for staying with me."<p>

"N-No problem, Naruto."

"What about me, dickless?"

"I didn't ask you."

There was a moment of silence as the three presumably contemplated their last night. Naruto, being the kind boy, had run around spreading the news so that everyone would be warned and prepared. He felt very proud of himself at the end of the day. The pride had momentarily dissipated when Naruto realized he wasn't sure how to prepare or how to spend said night.

It didn't take long before he decided that he wanted to spend it with his most precious people – his teammates. However, his teammates didn't seem to feel the same sentiment. He hadn't even been able to speak to Sakura. The nurse at the desk told him that she was running around the hospital in a bit of shambles because for whatever reason, many of the staff had called off that night. Fearing for an even earlier death, Naruto headed off to his other teammate's home where the door was promptly shut in his face. He whined a bit, complaining about his teammates and how they were too busy or too anti social, before his hunched form began wandering the streets for a new end of the world plan. He had attempted to look for Kakashi, but his teacher had been absent all day.

And then inspiration. Where else did he feel more at home? Where else was his favorite place? Where he could die happy? So, with blanket in hand, Naruto made himself at home in front of Ichiraku.

"Are you going to stay all night, Hina-chan? I'll go get a blanket for you, if you want."

Hinata shook her head slowly. She had passed a slightly lonely looking Naruto spread out in front of the closed ramen stand and shyly asked if he wanted company. "My father will not be pleased if I stayed out all night."

"Even if it's the end of the world?"

"Y-Yes, he's very strict on rule keeping."

"I would rather be comfortable in my bed tonight." Sai offered.

"I didn't ask you."

Sai indeed was not asked. He had seen the couple sitting on the ground and decided to join in, curious as to what he was missing.

He still hadn't quite figured it out.

"N-Naruto-kun, is Sasuke joining us?"

"No. That jerk wouldn't come out – hey, why do you care?" Naruto looked offended and slightly hurt for a moment. Hinata was quick to point her finger out into the dark night.

"Because he's coming this way."

"Hey, TEME!"

Even though he didn't reply, Naruto knew he had been heard because Sasuke hunched up his shoulders, dug his fists further into his pockets and walked just a little bit quicker.

"Hey! Come join your teammate! Do you really want to be alone?"

"I'm busy." Was the quick reply before the pace quickened even further and he passed the trio without another glance.

"Do you really think it'll be the end, N-Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah." Blue eyes narrowed before he stuck his finger in his mouth, pulled it out, and stuck the damp appendage into the air. "I can feel it."

"I think gay boy is right, you are a dobe as well as being dickless."

"HEY!"

* * *

><p>"Where the hell are you going?" Weary green eyes blinked up to see steady coal black eyes.<p>

"…Home?" She blinked. He was blurry suddenly. She rapidly blinked her eyes again. A little better. Sakura saw Sasuke frown and wondered what on earth crawled up his ass and died… again. Whatever. She was too tired to care.

She mumbled a half-hearted 'excuse me' and tried to nudge past him and out into the world outside of the hospital. He only grunted but didn't budge. Sakura stifled a groan and resisted stomping her foot like a child. She was tired, damn it! "What?" She tried to sound mean, she really did, but it simply came out as a tired whisper, one she was sure if Sasuke didn't have inhuman hearing that would have gone unheard.

He didn't answer her. Maybe he didn't hear her. She couldn't resist the stomp anymore. "Let me go home!" Her voice was stronger this time, to hell with trying to hide her whiny frame of mind.

"No."

"What?" Her voice was raspy, but she could feel her fifth wind coming on. Where did he get off telling her –

"You're in no shape to walk to your house."

In the back of her brain, Sakura felt herself squealing at what his was suggesting. Years of rejection caused her to immediately squelch that voice. "What do you what me to do then, sleep on the ground, here?" He arms gestured to the concrete she stood on.

Sasuke scowled. "Don't be stupid."

Two fingers pinched the bridge of her nose as closed her eyes and desperately wished for him to go away. "Then what. do you suggest. that I do?" She ground out.

"I'm taking you home. It's closer. You may rest there."

"You just said-" Green eyes snapped up and her fingers fell to her side. She stared at him as his words digested. "Your place?"

He did not respond, only stared at her. Though when she did not move, he irritably reached out and grabbed her wrist, yanking her foreword. Sakura stumbled after him, her wide-eyed gaze now staring at his hand clenched around her wrist. She must have fallen asleep in the hospital. Or maybe she was beginning to hallucinate. Maybe she really shouldn't put in such long hours…

Another yank made her stumble on her weary feet. The dark blue blur in front of her stopped and turned to glare. Too tired and confused, Sakura gave up the will to fight back. She merely blinked at him, waiting for him to either give up or… no, she wouldn't think hopeful thoughts like that. Well, hell, if this was a dream – she was wondering if he would pick her up. She was allowed to be cared for once in a while, right? Even in her dreams?

And yet, as he knelt down on one knee with his hands cupped, ready to hold her, she found herself desperately wishing she wasn't dreaming. Unsure and unsteady, Sakura climbed onto the offered back and held on. She felt the heat from his body, the wind in her face, and the muscles from his movement.

She wasn't dreaming.

"The world must be ending." She concluded.

"I guess the idiot got to you too?"

* * *

><p>Even though the sky was darkened and the moon covered by clouds, one may still find peace in the steady wind blowing through the grass. This is especially true if you are one pineapple head who strays from troublesome rumors. He felt the oncoming disturbance in the grass before he heard the light footsteps and the rustling of grass indicating that the origin of the sound had made herself comfortable.<p>

"I shouldn't be surprised that you're still here."

"But you are?" His eyes remained closed.

"Not really." Her voice was unusually soft. "Though I would have thought your mom would want you home."

"I stopped home once. Dad suggested I escape while mom was at the store."

The silence that followed was far more disturbing than her chatter. So Shikamaru was forced to do what he did not enjoy doing - "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or are you just going to sit there?" – initiate conversations and talk about problems.

"Oh, you know, I was thinking about the end of the world."

"It's not happening tonight."

"I know." She paused then. The air was heavy. "I was thinking about what we were talking about earlier – what ifs."

"There's not use worrying about what ifs. Worry about what is."

"What if I'm not happy with what is? What if I want to change the what if into… I don't know. To at least try?"

"Then do it. I don't know why you need an end of the world rumor to help you along if it's that important."

The air was still tense and Shikamaru had to fight the urge to sigh and suggest she take her mood ruining atmosphere elsewhere.

Then it happened. It was quiet – so quiet that if Shikamaru hadn't been straining his ears he would have never heard it. But he did, and it finally made him open his eyes and study her dark form. She was hugging her knees, head tilted up towards the cloudy sky. He wished the moon was out so he could see her expression. "What?" He spoke quietly. In retrospect, it probably was not the most intelligent response one would expect from a genius, but he was never the brightest when it came to personal feelings.

"Nothing." Ino looked away, looking ready to spring.

"You said you were scared." Shikamaru slowly pushed himself up so that he was leaning foreword, supported by one arm.

"If you heard, then why ask me to repeat it?"

"Ino…" She still wasn't facing him. He pushed himself up onto his knees and fisted his hands to stop himself from reaching out. "I-"

"What if what you want to change could go either good or bad?"

"What are you talking about?" The genius was truly at a loss. Anyone else, and he would give up – send them elsewhere, but this was his teammate. It was Ino.

"I'm talking about this being a chance to say something I'd regret not saying."

"So say it!" Shikamaru snapped. Not liking the feeling of not knowing and understanding what was going on.

"I like you, Shikamaru Nara! I like you and I want you to finally ask me out on a date."

Dark eyes met a shining blue and the world really did stop for a moment. Neither breathed – both in disbelief of what was said. And then the moment was broken when the blue eyes widened and she turned her gaze away. It was hard to miss the deepening red on her face.

"L-Look," Ino shook her head, her hair waving behind her, and stuck her nose up in the air. "It's the weird rumor's going around." Blue eyes closed and she crossed her arms, an annoyed from marring her face. "Don't worry about it."

There was another beat of silence before she released a heavy sigh and began to push herself up off the ground.

For once, Shikamaru's mind was blank. He was vaguely aware of his jaw being looser than usual. He was especially aware that he should say something – _anything _– but _blasted brain_ _work! _

"Wait."

Ino looked down at him from her standing position. He saw hope, fear, and annoyance. She was embarrassed and ashamed. She was also beautiful, strong, and even more loyal. She was Ino.

Shikamaru couldn't hold her gaze. Instead, he looked away and patted the ground next to him. "Sit. Stay."

"I'm not a dog!" She snapped, as she did as she was told.

"I know." He confirmed before laying back down to stare at the cloudy sky.

"Well?" He heard Ino. She was still sitting up.

"Well what?"

"Say something!" Ino fumed. From the corner of his eye, he could make out her fists clutching around the ground beneath them.

Instead of following her orders, he reached over to a fist and gently pulled her over so that she had to lay down. He continued to tug until she was nestled beside him. "Just shut up and enjoy the last night."

For the second time that night, Ino obeyed.

* * *

><p>While the hidden moon was high in the sky, it was unable to watch the commotion caused by an old man and the blonde boy. In some places, people fell asleep in their cellar, surrounded by many perishable items and convinced that when they woke up, all of their paranoia would finally pay off. Others slept comfortably in their beds, never once giving thought to the rumored doom that was upon them.<p>

On a corner of the village there stood a large house. Inside the house all was quiet, save for the occasional snore and immediate need to wake up and lick their privates. In particular, a boy and his dog snored quiet happily and comfortably. Neither worried about the end of the world for none of the other dogs had sensed anything peculiar – and their owners knew that when the time came, their precious hairy comrades would be the first to know.

A light tirelessly shined for the boy and the pile of books by his side. He was a bit baffled and more than curious about how all this escalated and the reactions to an event that was clearly unlikely to happen. There was so much he still didn't know.

On the other side of town, instead of a blissful sleep, a figure sat with sunglasses shining in the moonlight as he gazed down on his fellow comrades. A hidden smirk played on his lips as he watched the different reactions to the rumored impending doom. He held a finger out, letting a bug land on it and disappear. Oh, the things he knew.

A drunken couple nearly stumbled over the pair of legs sticking out from under a light blue blanket. The male scrunched up his face in disgust while the female bent down and placed money beside the man – hoping that it would bring comfort on the potential last night. As they waked away, the figure under the blanket curled up further – unaware that he was just taken as a homeless man. His arms unconsciously began caressing the painted sign hanging on the building while dreams of his favorite meal comforted his mind.

In another part of town, in a room that was even more disheveled then usual, two women sat on the ground leaning on each other. The brown haired girl had drool pooling up at the corner of her mouth. A shutter, a snort, and silence again. The blonde smiled. What a way to spend her last night.

Tucked away in a corner, a usually lonely living room was now occupied by two figures, both propping each other up. The one was not aware of her position. She had fallen before the boy had reached his home – but the other insisted on watching her, and in turn had fallen asleep comforted by her presence. Both slept better than they had before it was suggested that it was the end.

Outside on grassy hill, two figures huddled close to keep warm. At some point in the night, his arm had moved from behind his head to hold the sleeping blonde that was currently using his chest as a pillow. His arms tightened slightly as a contended 'Troublesome,' escaped his lips.

A dark haired girl sat at her window, staring at the window, waiting and watching with pale eyes. Waiting for the world to end and watching to make sure that her beloved was safe. She could not see him, but she could picture him. She hoped the blanket would be enough to keep him warm. Unconsciously, she pulled her blanket closer around her shoulders as she continued her watch.

Through the darkness of the night, a lone man strolled through the streets, taking in the sites and reactions. He stuffed a pillow behind Naruto's head, dropped off some pain killers in the Hokage office, took a few incriminating pictures and made sure to wash his muddy clothes leftover from the mission. He also made sure to hide the dirty gray beard he had used. The corners of his mouth twitched. So this is what happened when he ran out of Icha Icha Paradise. Perhaps he should start writing his own…

(END)

Mk, so there actually used to be a bit more. Like a bit with neji and tenten continuously training and morning reactions, but I thought it was just peaceful like this.

Anyhoo, light hearted fun I started a while ago and finally finished. Hope you enjoyed!


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